Ludhiana, February 13
The Punjab Police has served show-cause notices to about 50 more cops holding different ranks, for reverting them to their original positions even as 40 cops served notices a few days ago, have decided to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for staying their demotions.

The notices have been served under a scheme by the Punjab Police all over the state in which cops, given out of way promotions through good work, would be demoted for bad work. The action was being taken under the Punjab Police rules which required the review of all such promotions every six months. However, the rule had not been followed for over two decades.

Police sources said that the DIG Ludhiana Range issued the notices to 50 more cops in the second phase yesterday. Though a majority of cops in this category were head constables who were likely to be reverted to their original rank of constable, there were a few ASIs and SIs also. In the first list majority of cops were Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors and Assistant sub Inspectors.

Sources said the cops, served with the notices, were in no mood to accept the reversion orders lying down. They were preparing a writ petition for a stay order at Chandigarh today. The cops were in touch with those mentioned in the second list and were also convincing them to become party in the case.

The notices were issued just to complete a legal formality. A senior police official said the notices meant that the reversion orders were imminent. The ranks include Own Rank and Pay, Ad hoc rank, Local Rank, C-II, D-II and E-II.

The Punjab Police rules allowed out-of-way promotions for the cops but at the same time insisted on six-monthly review of the cases. It was found that different police district officials were, on their own, promoting or demoting the cops. To make the policy uniform, the former DGP Dr A A Siddiqui had ordered the constitution of committees at range levels.

The committees formed a criteria that the
promotes booked in a criminal case or censured five times or found including in indiscipline or abuse of power should be demoted. The committee was headed by Mr Rajiv Ahir, SSP Jagraon and the notices were issued by Mr Parag Jain, DIG Ludhiana.

Ludhiana, February 13
An NRI, who had come to India to sell his house in the city was shocked to find a notice of auction by Auction and Recovery Wing of Municipal Corporation for not paying water bills and sewerage tax of a part of house that he had sold eight years ago.

An NRI, Mr Jagir Singh, (72), who has a house in his wife’s name at local Dashmesh Nagar, was shocked to find out that he had received a notice under Section 137 of Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as he had failed to pay house tax worth Rs 19,912 since 2001.

He was advised to deposit the same amount or his house would be auctioned under Section 138 of the Act. He rushed to the office of the MC and showed some documents submitted by him that he had sold 200 yards of plot in 1997 and he would not be liable to pay the house tax for this sold land. He had submitted his letter in March 2001 with the Superintendent of the House Tax. A copy of the letter carrying the signatures of officials concerned was kept safe by the NRI.

“This time when I went to the MC office after receiving the notice, I was told that the official, who signatures were on the letter, had retired. They also told me that this letter was not valid and I would have to pay the tax” he claimed.

He said that since he had informed the MC about selling of 200 yards of plot out of 700 yards it was not his duty to pay the tax. He said that over the years a three-storey house was constructed on the sold 200 yards but now he was being penalised to pay the tax.

“We are law-abiding citizens. And we
come back to India with hopes in heart that we would have a happy and peaceful time in our own land. But look at the way we are being treated here. Had I not come back last month, my house would have been auctioned in my absence,” he added.

He also said that he wanted to dispose of the property as there were no caretakers here and wanted a No Objection Certificate from MC. Till the dues were not cleared he had not been issued the certificate.

Ludhiana, February 13
Resentment prevails among students and the faculty of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital over the decision of the Managing society to construct a police station in the premises of DMCH to “conduct medico-legal cases and post-mortems”.

Resentment emanates from the fact that the proposed sites for the police station is near the undergraduate girls hostel and the boys hostel is also not far.

The managing society met last week and decided to construct a police station. The managing society also decided to bear the cost of the police station building which will be around Rs 50 lakh and also provide land free of cost.

Sources allege that the management is getting the police station constructed to keep the agitating employees away and maintain law and order in the hospital.

The decision has generated a lot of controversy in the hospital and the decision is being resented, though there is no vocal protest against it.

Enquiries reveal that the general body of the DMCH faculty did not approve of the proposal. The general body of the faculty at its meeting was asked to say “yes” but no one raised the hands and the principal promised to convey the sentiments to the managing society.

It is further learnt that a seven-member advisory committee was also formed to normalise the functioning of the hospital during agitation by the employees.

DMCH has been witnessing a long-drawn agitation by the employees and the functioning of the hospital and the heart centre was hit.

The management was feeling helpless to deal with the situation. Finally, the management decided to deal with the situation sternly and the police help was also sought for it.

The management, in the meantime, terminated the services of leaders of the agitating employees including Chander Mohan Kalia, president of the employees association. Now the functioning of the hospital and the heart centre has become normal. The two institution have suffered a huge loss of Rs 4 crore because of the agitation of the employees. Doctors complain that the police had maltreated them two years ago when the employees agitation had taken an ugly turn and senior doctors were also arrested and put behind bars without any fault. The doctors further allege that the management had arranged another security agency on contract for three months at Rs 18 lakh but was not wiling to enhance the salary scales of doctors.

The managing society, during its meeting, decided to shift the ICU to the new block and name the same as “Prem Nath Gupta ICU block”. Mr Prem Nath Gupta has served the DMCH for more than 20 years secretary of the managing society and was instrumental in the phenomenal developmental of the hospital and the college. The managing society has also decided to construct an effluent treatment plant at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

Ludhiana, February 13
A leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party today alleged that he and two women of Jamalpur were mercilessly beaten up by some cops led by an ASI last evening with sticks and blows when the residents were trying to stop an alleged land grab bid in the area.

While Mr Sukhwinder Singh, secretary RJD was admitted to the Civil Hospital with injuries on his backbone due to the alleged beating up by the cops, the two women were discharged after first aid.

Mr Surinder Mohan, SHO, Focal Point, however, denied the charges.

He said the alleged victim had some old rivalry with the ASI and was cooking up the story.

Mr Sukhwinder Singh, whose injuries were quite visible, said that cops led by the ASI, were allegedly helping a group of persons in grabbing a piece of land.

However, when the residents tried to stop them they were beaten up black and blue.

Ludhiana, February 13
The Basti Jodhewal Police has booked six persons, including three eunuchs, for forcibly castrating a youth to make him a member of their group.
The youth, Dilip (name changed), was allegedly picked up by the accused and was castrated after the accused made him unconscious.

The case came to light when the eunuchs could not handle the complications, which the youth developed, after the castration and abandoned the unconscious man near Sabzi Mandi here.

The victim could identify only four of the six accused. These were Rano, Fulla and Kanta while the three others were unidentified
persons. The three eunuchs have been arrested.

Ludhiana, February 13
For this Valentine Day, many florists have sprung up overnight mushrooming all over the city. The enterprising ones have put up tents and selling bright coloured flower arrangements and bouquets on all busy roads of the city. Earlier pandals were erected only during Divali or other major festivals to sell sweets but it is definitely a new sight to see multi-hued flowers being sold like this.

Another new thing is that floral arches and welcome gates with red coloured drapery have been erected in front of the shops dealing with Valentine cards and gifts which surely proclaim that the hype created over Valentine is on the rise. One normally see these floral gates at the weddings or some social functions and not outside the shops.

Different mobile companies are sending Valentine’s messages. The mobile owners are being inundated with messages regarding Valentine’s Day.

The students are a happy lot that the special day falls on Monday and they will be legally out of the house attending schools and
colleges. They will not have to make excuses It is a different matter that they would be bunking tuitions and colleges to meet their valentines in different places. Red roses have become quite pricy as colour red is symbolic of love. There is an aura of romance in the air thanks to the high commercialisation of Valentine’s Day.

Confectionary shops are doing roaring business selling different varieties of
chocolates. These are coming packed in different coloured papers in attractive boxes and packages. Both Indian and imported chocolates are selling like hot cakes.

In Sarabha Nagar market a crowd of youngsters would jostle with one another and dance to the tunes of a DJ tomorrow in the evening while a number of boys dressed in leather jackets would zoom on their motorbikes on their ‘geri’ route. There would be certain madness in the air tomorrow and for this reason some students’ organisations have asked the police to be vigilant and arrest people who misbehave.

If the dominance of red and pink colours at shopping malls and showrooms is any indication, then youngsters in the city have decided to express their emotions wearing these colours, this Valentine. a majority of youths believe that the particular colours draw attention immediately and symbolise love, romance and
passion. Well judging the pulse of young hearts, manufacturers have come up with a variety of outfits in red and pink colours for the Valentine’s Day.

A manufacturer at Chaura Bazaar has come up with a novel idea of designing only red-coloured sweaters and jackets in more than 15 designs, specially for the day. The leather jackets which were sold earlier for Rs 2,500 or above, were now available between Rs 800 and Rs 1,500
whereas the sweaters were available up to Rs 800.

“Red colour represents youth, full of life and energy. Red-coloured objects are noticed immediately. The dresses on display immediately attract attention of young buyers. Particularly the woollen and leather jackets are much in demand. We have already sold 18 jackets so far”, said a manufacturer.

A college-going teenager who bought a new red-coloured outfit to be worn on Valentine’s Day said the colour increased energy. Red was generally worn on festive occasions. People wearing red colour were supposed to be full of life and vigour. They believe in social interactions, they are
extrovert." May be in red colour, I will be able to express my emotions well”, she said.

Apart from red, pink-coloured clothes are also in demand. Shopkeepers said girls these days demanded skirts, trousers, pullovers and ponchos in red and pink colours only. Money was no problem for the majority of youngsters. “They are ready to pay anything for their favourite outfit”, said a shopkeeper at Kitchlu Nagar.

Many young girls felt that pink colour indicated a romantic nature. Pink being a soft colour symbolised affection, warmth and sensitivity. The colour represented beauty. “This romantic and tender colour adds to your charm. It is good that these days, many sales are offering a lot of varieties. We can purchase some good dresses at an affordable price”, said Neetu, a BA Final Year student.

Every year in mid-February millions of people express romantic desire for each other by exchanging heart-shaped boxes of chocolate flowers and other gifts. Children reveal hidden infatuations by sending a card as a “secret admirer.” Retailers stock their shelves with merchandise covered in stylized hearts and Cupids preparing for the popular observance of Valentine’s Day. But where and how did these curious customs originate?

Valentine’s Day acquired its name from a Catholic saint, although exactly who he was is a matter of debate. The two most famous Valentines were a Roman priest and a bishop who both suffered martyrdom in the last half of the third century.

During the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day became increasingly popular in Europe. February 14 was significant not only for its religious meaning, but because it was widely believed that birds begin to mate on this date. Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400) mentions the mating of birds on Valentine’s Day in his poem Parliament of Foules.

“English literature, following Chaucer, contains frequent references to February 14 as sacred to lovers. Shakespeare, Drayton, and Gay are among those who mention it in this connection, and the diarist Samuel Pepys several times discusses the day and its related customs. The Paston Letters, covering the period from 1422 to 1509, contain a letter by Dame Elizabeth Brews to John Paston, with whom she hoped to arrange a match for her daughter, which runs this way:

“And cousin mine, upon Monday is St. Valentine’s day and every bird chooseth himself a mate...” (Jane M. Hatch, The American Book of Days, 1978, p. 178).

For centuries St. Valentine’s Day flourished as a day of romantic superstition. A common belief was that a girl would marry the first bachelor she saw or conjure her future mate’s image by visiting a graveyard on St. Valentine’s Eve.

The custom of sending Valentine cards grew popular in the 1700s. In the early 1800s commercial Valentines appeared and soon there was no end to how entrepreneurs could make money from this holiday.

Valentine’s Day became so popular in the United States that one 1863 periodical claimed that it was second in celebration only to Christmas.

Today, Valentine’s Day is as popular as ever with children and couples. It’s definitely one of the biggest money-making days for florists, candy makers and gift shops.

Over the years many customs were added to the celebration. One custom was for the names of girls to be placed in a box to be drawn by boys. The two were then considered a pair for the coming year.

Valentine’s Day has gained a lot of importance in recent times. The party has to be planned so that the dress code, ambience, music, drinks, food all give out a whiff of romance. Red roses all the way in bouquets and on walls are welcome.

The city is gearing for the Valentines’ Day. Sutlej Club has planned a big bash on February 13 with Jaspal Bhatti to bring in a lot of humour. Divya Jaitley, a spicy anchor, a dance troupe to dance on the romantic number and Bhanu’s DJ to play hot peppy music to invite the couples are what the city residents can look forward to. Lodhi Club has invited BMB Fire Dance Troupe from New Delhi and famous DJ Bhanu will perform live for the audience.

Couples in Ludhiana do not mean only boys and girls but it can be father and daughter, brother and sister and even two persons of the same sex as such parties turn out to be entire family affairs.

Private parties are being planned . Style and originality is the mantra. “Valentine is a day of celebration for one and all, be its lovers, married couples, or whoever likes to celebrate it,” says young Neha, a Symbiosis Management Stream student under distance education programme. “Actually” she adds, “my parent’s anniversary falls on that day, so I have a great time partying out with friends and family. I, especially, like to pamper my loved ones on that particular day. I buy gifts for all people close to my heart, wish them, write small thoughtful notes to tell these people how much they mean to me. I decorate my whole house with red and white balloons, create an ambience of love all around, go out with my family for a good lavish dinner. As for the outfit. For this Valentines, I have just bought myself a pair of drop
earrings as they are replacing the chandelier earrings from the past few seasons”.

Manisha, a college student, quips, “Being with friends is always fun, but then on this special day, it’s party time. We all bunk tuitions, pack ourselves in one car and then we go…our geri time begins. We prefer not going out for open parties as we aren’t very sure of the kind of crowd coming over there. But then this year we have arranged for a small party at one of our friends’ place. It’s an all girl’s party, after all who needs guys to experience love and create tensions in life. Our dress color code for that special day is obviously “red” and “burnt orange”. They are hot colours this season. It is a season where everybody is showing off bit of tummies and belly buttons and low-cut jeans are the jeans of the season. The biggest advantage of the low-rise look is, it visually lengthens the torso and has a slimming effect. And, by picking a short or long top, one can control the amount of skin they bare. So I have already made my pick.”

Voila, a dynamic city-based fashion designer, says, “Oh I have a great circle of friends and we are party freaks. My friend has arranged for a private party at Las Vegas on February 12. It’s going to be a big bash, all guys ‘n’ gals in blacks and reds. We all have decided to wear black evening gowns with red stoles and shimmery black stilettos. For a fresh romantic look, a pink lip gloss with brown undertones will do for
me. And the finishing stroke is to energise oneself this day as the right attitude is very important.”

If the girls have planned bashes, are the boys behind?

Vikas has decided on spiked hair but many of the boys have grown long hair and are going to tie them in pony tails. Ansh Gujral style of (Kyunki
saas——-) or leave them open. During day time the boys are going to wear nice sweat shirts with pair of jeans and nice sporty shoes. Ranvir says, “Big chunky watches are in. During the day time we will offer girlfriends red roses and take them out to a coffee place while during night we are going to wear “club wear”. Club wear means formal trousers, jackets and may be coloured hair and formal dinner with our dates.”

A
CUTE little pup, with a ribbon around his neck, in a beautifully decorated basket. Your valentine going “Oohh soo Cute! at the very first sight of it. The perfect present, Sorry, to be blunt, pets make the worst presents, Now what could be wrong in giving a pup as a present ? The answer is “every thing”.

Whenever a genuine dog lover buys a dog he goes through literature, consults breeders and vets to find out what breed would suit him. But when you gift a dog to a friend they to live with a dog they never wanted. Most of the times these dogs are ill-treated and even abandoned. All suffering comes into the lap of an innocent dog without fault.

Even when you know the breed the person likes you have to be sure that the recipent of the gift has enough financial resources to keep a pet. Buying a pup is the most economical part of keeping a pup. You may spend anything from Rs 1,200 to Rs 35,000 on buying a pup. The expenditure does not stop here. Feeding, vaccination, toys and trips to vet can cost anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 per year for 12-18 years. All reputed dog breeders and vets will enquire why you want a pet and are you capable of keeping him happy before they sell the pet to you. No ethical dog lover will ever sell a pet with the motive of getting him gifted. Generally these impulse gifts are brought from unscrupulous puppy farmers who put profit before an animal’s welfare.

You might be able to take back an ill-fitting sweater back to the garment store but what about the pup. A pup will grow. He will eat. He will cry at night. He will need love and commitment for the rest of his life. Is the one you are gifting the pup knowledgeable about the special needs of pets, or has the time to love, care and protect his pet for the rest of it’s life?

Flowers: On Valentine’s, Day each expression can be best expressed with flowers and what can be better than red roses. “I will definitely give my girlfriend a bunch of red roses” says Dinesh Shangari, an engineer with a multinational. Red speaks of love. Since early centuries love has been associated with red colour. This Valentine too the city youth wants to say it with red.

Clothes and accessories: On Valentines Day, wearing red means being reserved. So if you want your sweetheart to be bothered by anyone tell her to wear red and be reserved, says Harman Gill, student from Panjab University.

Balloons: Red heart-shaped balloons can be romantic. Balloon signifies freedom. The only thing I will gift my valentine is lots ‘n’ lots of balloons and definitely red ones, so that it becomes difficult for her to handle them, says Gaurav Kapoor, an executive from an MNC.

Mobile phone covers:
On Valentines, everything should be red, I am not leaving my mobile cover. I will, specially, go and buy a red one for the day, says Simran Sachdev from MCM DAV College, Sector 36.

Cards:
I select cards that are mostly red and even their envelops, I want to gift only red things because it’s the day you have to express your love after all and what can be better to say it with red, says Divya Kohli from GCG, Sector 11.

Gift wraps: If I have to gift something on Valentines, I want everything around me to be red, even the gift wraps. It’s romantic and obviously the colour of joy and Valentines is the day to express your happiness, says Nitin Singla from S.D. College, Sector 32.

Cars:
I am going to drive my girlfriend all around the city in a red car. I am thankful that the people will love the colour of my car on this day, in particular. It’s definitely going to be red date with red car, says Gaurav Lakhanpal from DAV College, Sector 10.

Wine:
Red-coloured wine bottle is what I will surely be my gift to my boyfriend. It will be took kiddish if I present him with red shirt or may be anything else which is red, so I think red wine will do the wonders for both of us, says Nidhi from Panjab University.

Roses: A rose is the popular and beautiful flower which speaks of love. Rose is a must for every guy to give to a girl on Valentine, says Garima Arora, a student from Sector 36-A,
Chandigarh.

Balloons:
A balloon signifies happiness, ecstasy and is the best way to express your love feelings. So, express your love on this special Valentine’s day by giving a balloon to your guy, says Himanshu Mehta from DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh.

Chocolates:
Chocolates symbolise sweetness of love. The sweetness of love can make any heart melt. So, if your beloved is angry with you, give her a box of chocolates. The more chocolates you give, the more sweeter becomes your relationship, says Mr Singh, owner of a bakery shop in Sector 35-A, Chandigarh.

Cards:
Valentine’s day is a day to express your love. Cards can express love and thoughts in the most significant way. The message of love can be conveyed in the most simple and elegant manner with a single card. It can bring a smile on anyone's face says, Balwinder Sandhu, owner of
Archies, Sector 35, Chandigarh.

When you give your partner a romantic gift you want it to be something you make memorable and something that reflects how you feel about them. Here we present you a basket of gifts which are affordable to pocket and will make your partner love all the more.

Ludhiana, February 13
The ABVP has appealed to the SSP, to deal strictly with those persons who, under the garb of Valentine’s Day, pllute the culture. At a meeting held by the ABVP here today , the celebrations to be held for Valentine’s Day were condemned and a resolution was passed in this regard.

He further said some western companies with vested interests were polluting the minds of the youth. Both boys and girls were falling under the impact of western culture day by day. He said that police should be strict and road side Romeos should be handled
strictly. Anyone indulging in hooliganism should be taken to task.

Rajat Sharma, joint secretary, ABVP , Punjab, said the role of private satellite channels was not healthy. Moral values presented in TV serials like Khani Ghar Ghar ki, Saas bhi kabhi bahu thi were poisoning the mind of the youth and children .

He further said the next week the ABVP would demonstrate against these kind of TV channels, and would demand from the government to ban serials. Navneet Sharma, Harsh, Kunal, Arun, Rajiv Sood and Shiks Walia were present at the meeting.

Ludhiana, February 13
Ravinder Ravi, the local singer, who had made it the last five of the Indian Idol contest on the Sony Entertainment, seems to have already become a Ludhiana idol. On an average Ravi attends a couple of receptions every day in the city, which is, otherwise known only for worshiping the rising sun. The overwhelming reception accorded to Ravi in his native city may not be even given to the actual Indian Idol, whosoever he or she turns out to be.

Ludhianvis by nature are known only for worshipping the winners and not the losers. However, Ravi’s happens to be an exceptional example. Remarks Aneesh Dhawan, a young Industrialist and exporter, “whether Ravi made it to the ultimate round or not, but for the people of Ludhiana, he has set an example that an ordinary man could rise to such heights by his talent and hardwork even if he do not have great resources”.

The overwhelming and unprecedented way of “honouring him”, every day has even led to sort of criticism also. But Mr Dhawan retorts, “it was because of Ravi that people of Ludhiana could develop so much in interest and attachment with the Indian Idol programme on the Sony Entertainment...I did not miss any of the episodes ever since I saw, Ravi a Ludhianvi, on the show heading ahead of every one”. Not many people knew anything about Ravi till he hit the limelight. And today almost each and every Ludhianvi knows so much about him.

Almost all leading clubs of the city, social and cultural organisations and socialites have already hosted parties in his honour. And if his brother is to be believed, the list of invitations is piling up. In fact it is Ravi’s brother only who has been doing all the planning carefully choosing the hosts for the party he would like to attend. Otherwise he may not have the time to make “right judgements” about the hosts. Ravi seems to have already reached a stage where he has started exercising his discretion in accepting and rejecting the invitations.

Ironically no social or cultural organisation, not even the leading socialites who have thrown parties in his honour have come forward with any financial help so that Ravi could fine tune his talent for further success. He has not even held any show either. But as long as the invitations keep on piling up he has every reason to bask in the new found glory. Only if somebody could sound him that all this glory, at least in Ludhiana, is too short lived to be trusted. It is only your own worth that will stand by you in the long run.

Ludhiana, February 13
Shree Gyan Sthal Mandir, Subhani Building chowk, organised the 90th widow ration/pension distribution function here today.
It was presided over by Municipal Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sharma. As many as 651 needy women and widows were given free ration.

The function started with amrit vani satsang by residents of Shivaj Nagar. On this occasion, a marriage of a poor girl was also performed. Ravinder Ravi, who reached in the first five in Indian Idol contest was honoured. He also sang bhajans.

Mr S.K. Sharma lauded the efforts of the mandir and donated Rs 1100. Mr Jagdish Bajaj, president of the temple, said the mandir would distribute copies and books to 1100 needy children on Baisakhi. Mr Sharma also said he would be providing books and other study material for 11 needy students.

Dr Wander, a cardiologist of Dayanand Medical College & Hospital was also present.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 13
Body of Inderjit Singh, a BSF jawan of nearby Sudhar village who had died along with five others when an avalanche had hit their post near Line of Control in the Kupwara sector on February 11, will be brought to his native village on Tuesday, revealed the sources in the administration.

Pal of gloom descended on Sudhar yesterday evening when the news of the death of Inderjit was broken to his family. The TPM message that was received at SDM office, Raikot, and police station,
Sudhar, read that the body of the deceased would be flown to Jammu where post mortem was to be conducted on it. It would then be flown to Delhi from where BSF personnel would carry it to his native village by road. Though Border Road Organisation personnel worked round the clock, the land rout up to some airlift station was not clear.
OC

Khanna, February 13
Shopkeepers of Guru Amar Dass Market held a protest rally yesterday in protest against the parking fee. The shopkeepers were demanding the removal of rehires parked by the contractors in the market. The Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Khanna, reached the spot and gave two days to both parties to solve the dispute.

A few days back the contract for parking of Guru Amar Dass Market was given to a private firm. The contract was for collecting parking fee from cars and two-wheelers. The contractors reportedly waived the parking fee for scooters own their own and started charging heavy fee from rehris parked in market. This irked the shopkeepers which led to the protest.

Mr Najar Singh, E.O. said he had directed the contractors not to charge fee from the vehicles entering in the market as fee could only be charged for vehicles parked in the market.

Ludhiana, February 13
Arya Samaj Model Town, Ludhiana, has contributed Rs 4.25 lakh to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the tsunami victims. The amount was collected by the samaj and the affiliated educational institutions for the tsunami victims under the leadership of the president of the samaj, Mr Satyanand Munjal.

A draft of the amount was handed over
to Mr M.L. Airi, prinicpal, DAV College, Jalandhar, who is also the Vice-President of the Pradeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab.

Khanna, February 13
A four-month foetus was found near here from New Grain Market on Saturday.
According to information, a passerby noticed it lying near gate No. 2 of Grain Market on the Samrala Road today morning. He informed the police. It was taken to the Civil Hospital, Khanna, for a post-mortem examination.

Ludhiana, February 13
The Model Town police today booked a Municipal Councillor of the Congress, his brother and father for rioting, criminal trespass and theft in a land dispute case in Dugri today evening.

The accused Councillor Satwinder Singh Jawaddi, his brother Yadwinder Singh Jawaddi and father Anjit Singh Jawadi have been booked on complaint by Gurnam Singh of Dugri. He had alleged that the accused had allegedly tried to grab a portion of his 34 kanal land. The accused had also stole many things of the complainant from the said land, he alleged.

None of the accused had been arrested so far. An FIR had been lodged under Section 148,149, 379 and 447 of the IPC.

Machhiwara, February 13
The Machhiwara police seized 2 kg of opium from Gurdeep Singh of Noorpur Mand village yesterday evening.
DSP Jasbir Singh, Samrala, said at a press conference that SHO Machhiwara Balwinder Singh had laid a naka at Julah Majra village adjacent to Sirhind canal after a tip-off.
OC

Ludhiana, February 13
The Akhil Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal and several other trader bodies have firmly resolved to observe a nation-wide bandh on February 21 to express against the government decision to push introduction of value added tax (VAT) in Punjab and many other states from April 1 this year.

The vice-president of the all-India body of trade, said here today that all state beopar mandals and chambers of commerce and industry were prepared to make the proposed bandh a success.

Taking strong exception to the remarks on the new tax regime, made by the Punjab Finance Minister Mr Surinder Singla here on Friday, the vice-president who also heads the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, said, the government ought to take into consideration the genuine problems of trade and industry when switching over to a new taxation system rather than acting in a dictatorial manner.

The trade leader disagreed with Mr Singla that VAT was the best system of taxation in the world and the traders and members of industry would find it convenient, once they got used to it. The finance minister, while making this claim, seemed to have overlooked the fact that among nearly 12.5 crore members of business community in the country, an estimated 35 to 40 per cent were illiterate and unable to maintain accounts as well keep track of value addition at different states.

He further regretted that the draft of Punjab VAT Act, approved by the state cabinet recently, had not been made public, nor the government had bothered to discuss the it before finalisation, with the representatives of trade and industry. He said the evasive attitude of the government on this vital issue had further strengthened the apprehensions of the traders that harsh and penal provisions had not been amended in the proposed tax regime.

Rejecting the suggestion of the Finance Minister to withdraw the call for bandh, the mandal functionary asserted that all representative bodies of trade and industry would continue to protest against the VAT till the government relented and discussions were held with the affected parties.

Ludhiana, February 13
The Co-ordination Committee of District Retail Chemists Association, flayed the government decision to bring a large number of medicines in the ‘banned’ list. They would launch an agitation to save the trade from ruination.

A meeting of the committee was held here today under the chairmanship of Mr Ashok Puri. It observed that implementation of the government decision was impractical. The retail chemists were not in a position to maintain record of each transaction and if the decision was given effect, the general public would be the main sufferer, along with the drug trade.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Raman Grover, Dr Ashok Singla, Dr Vinod Sharma, Dr Inderjit Singh, Mr Rajiv Soni, Mr M.S. Sodhi and Mr Harbans Kalra were of the view that the government decision would spell doom for the retail chemists and they would be left with no other choice but to close down their shops.

The speakers further stated that maintenance of record of sale was only possible to some extent if sale of loose tablets or capsules was banned through legislative measures.